Many sat around to watch and remember Michael Jackson. Many fought the odds to get tickets. I arrived at my hotel room late and turned on the TV to see coverage of the service. I was surprised to see that things were under control. I doubted the police in the city/area i call home. Wow. Im ashamed. As I rode I had some MJ on the rotation. Nothing tops my favorite MJ song though, “You Are Not Alone.” Its a relaxing song and an emotional one. That song has brought me through many different issues in my life. This blog though isn’t about me.
Michael Jackson love him or hate him was an entertainer. Correction, he IS an entertainer. Even though he has died his music continues to fill our hearts and our lives. Many people can remember listening to MJ as a child or young adult. I do. Wearing headphones and playing the Thriller album over and over. Same as the We Are The World single. I still have all the albums somewhere at home. MJ touched many lives. He was a savior to many. When he and Lionel wrote We Are The World they wrote a song that did save many lives. They made a difference. Many people alive today would not be alive if Michael Jackson had not written such a song and made such a difference in Africa and other parts of the world. Michael Jackson’s heart was not just for his fans but for humanity. That was mentioned during his memorial. Michael Jackson knew many hated him or disliked him because of the accusations brought before him but he continued to love. Michael would have helped even those that hated him just because he was a human being…period
His accomplishments were not in just record sales and awards. He was a man with a heart as big as the world. Michael made the Guinness World Book of Records for being the only person to give to more charities than anyone else. That was Michael. He truly cared for humans. Not whites, blacks, asians, etc….but for the human race. Hence why Michael wrote Black or White. It doesnt matter what color you are. We are all humans. Something that Dr. Martin Luther King emphasized to America and the world. Had I been alive during his life i would have been saddened by his death as well. I celebrate his life as i will Michael’s. Both Dr King and MJ I believe are two of the most influential men in black culture and in the world as a whole. As I heard Dr King’s children speak I shook my head agreeing with everything they said. Hearing that Michael put a smile on their mother’s face as she laid there. If Dr King were alive today I could see him speaking at the memorial. Giving his praises. I was impressed with the speeches that Dr King’s children gave and that of Rev Al Sharpton, Berry Gordy and Rep Sheila Jackson Lee.
Years from now our children and then their children will know who MJ is and what he gave to the world and to music. I titled this Michael Jackson: A Global Icon because that is exactly what he is and what he will be remembered as. People can call him Whacko Jacko or whatever but do you have proof he did what he was accused of? Do you know MJ was a molester? I dont even pay attention to the negative. I celebrate his life for the wonderful music he created and the caring individual he was. I wish i could have met him just to say hi in all the years I worked in the music industry but I never did. As many sat down and watched and mourned/celebrated his life others went about their day. Not caring about a man that changed the world. That’s ok because to each their own. One day someone that those people idolize will pass away and they will feel grief and sorrow and they will then want to know why others dont feel their sorrow. I ask them to look back to MJ’s death and see how they reacted and they would then know why others are being negative to their thoughts and emotions. Berry Gordy called Michael Jackson the Greatest Entertainer that Ever Lived. Yes I agree. He knew how to put on a show. When he sang or took the stage people stopped and listened. Even if just for a moment. Michael was compassionate in his vocals. Often writing about his own life experiences. Michael was a true artist. He showed that with every performance. Some take the stage to impress. To get women to want them. Michael took the stage because he loved performing and he loved his fans. He gave back for all the love his fans showed him.
My Final Thoughts:
I will miss having Michael Jackson here. Who knows how much more musically he could have given. Maybe another song as compassionate as You Are Not Alone. I cant say I am all there as I type this. I keep wiping the tears from my eyes because as a musician myself that could care for shit about impressing anyone I love music. MJ’s music will continue to be in our lives and for those that love his music….in our hearts. You want to know something? After I heard Michael Jackson’s Beat It and learned Eddie Van Halen did the guitar solo that turned me onto Van Halen and to playing guitar. I thank Michael Jackson for that. No matter if you are in America, Europe, Middle East, Japan, Australia…etc you will hear someone listening to Michael Jackson. With that said, his music and his legacy will live on forever and ever and his music will still touch the hearts of even the youngest of all. God Bless you Michael Jackson and thank you. Thank you for bringing me joy as a child and an adult with your music. It will forever live on with me until my last breath on this earth…….Goodbye King of Pop
Gill Grylls
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